Artaban: The Fourth Wiseman

A Reflection in Honor of the Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ

Epiphany is a Christian feast celebrating the ‘shining forth’ or revelation of God to mankind in human form, in the person of Jesus Christ. The observance had its origins in the eastern Christian churches, and included the birth of Jesus Christ; the visit of the three Magi (Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar) who arrived in Bethlehem; and all of Jesus’ childhood events, up to his baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist. – according to Religionfacts.com

Perhaps we are all familiar with the three wise men who, upon following the star of Bethlehem, were led to the manger where the Savior was born. Gaspar, Melchor and Balthazar, were Persian priests and astronomers, often referred to as the 3 kings or the 3 wise men.

However, unknown to many, there is a fourth wise man named, Artaban. His journey in order to meet the King, the Messiah, our Savior Jesus Christ, is a story which I personally loved to reflect on over and over again. It has touched my heart so much. For his was a journey of faith, compassion and sacrifice…

READ MORE... The Fourth Wiseman

*Article published for the CFC Middle East Regional Website, http://www.cfcmiddleeast.org/, January 7, 2012

Keep Christ in Christmas: THE LIGHT OF HOPE

"I’m participating in the KEEP CHRIST in CHRISTMAS Blog Link-Up 2013 sponsored by the Catholic Bloggers Network ." Be sure to visit as many links as possible , listed at the bottom of this post. Reflecting on the 1st candle of Advent, the "light of Hope", I was reminded of a story I read as a child. Most of my contemporaries would probably remember "The Little Match Girl" written by Hans Christian Andersen: It was terribly cold and nearly dark on the last evening of the old year, and the snow was falling fast. In the cold and darkness, a poor little girl with bare head and naked feet, roamed through the streets. It is true she had on a pair of slippers when she left home, but they were not of much use. They were very large, so large, indeed, for they had belonged to her Mother and the poor little girl had lost them in running across the street to avoid two carriages that were rolling at a terrible rate. One of the s...

Love at First Sight!

Love is something we experience right from the very moment of our conception. Inside a mother's womb, the first sound a child listens to is the sweet sound of love beating from a mother's heart. The first sight a child first learn to appreciate is the tender gaze of a mother's loving eyes. The first touch a child can feel is the warmth of a mother's embrace. A newborn baby learns to feel love the minute his heart begins to beat. Love simply comes naturally for all of us who are blessed to live. For indeed, LOVE gives birth to LIFE. It is the very essence of our being. It is the very reason for us to fulfill our purpose and destiny.

KEEPING LOVE IN LENT: A Lot About Love... Inspirations from a 4-Year Old

“I’m participating in the Keeping LOVE in LENT Blog Link-Up 2013, hosted by Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints , Truly Rich Mom and Arma Dei: Equipping Catholic Families . We’ll be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will help us focus on Lenten sacrifices, prayer and good deeds, and how to carry them out with LOVE instead of a GRUMBLE. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of link-up entries." It’s simply amazing how much I can learn from someone so young. A child can definitely teach us - older ones - a lot about love… Out of nowhere, my son told me, “ Faith is my life ”. He was actually referring to his playmate, a girl about his age named, Faith. I honestly didn't know where he learned to say those words, but in the pureness and innocence of his heart he was happy and proud to express it. There was another time he came up to...

Coffee Moments with Sam

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